Coin-controlled mechanism



Nov. 2, 1926. 1,605,654

7 A. H. DU GRENIER COIN CONTROLLED MECHANI SM Filed August 1, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 2 1926. 1,605,654

A.- H. DU GRENIER CQIN CONTROLLED MEGHANI SM Filed August 1, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "ml LI I IF' VIII/III I 4. 7 III].

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

I ARTHUR H. DU GBENIEB, OI HAVEBHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OI ONE-HAL! T0 MODERN VENDING MACHINE 00., OF HAVEBHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 01! MASSACHUSETTS, AND ONE- HALI TOWILLIAM C. SOUTHABD AND M LEE SUTCLIFI'E.

COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

Application fled Ann; 1,

1828. Serial No. 855,128.

This invention relates to certain improvewhich not only secures the result above inments in the mechanism employed in vending machines for testing the coins, disks, or checks which are placed therein, to prevent operation of the machine and the discharge 0 the articles to be vended in case the disks which are placed therein do not conform in weight and dimensions to the weight and dimensions of the coin which the apparatus is designed to receive.

While the difficulty of providing mechanism which will detect counterfeit coins or slugs has not been great when the machine is designed to receive coins of a higher.

denomination than the cent, on account of the relatively low value for its weight of the metal in the cent, much difiiculty has been encountered in preventing delivery of the goods when the machine is designed to.-

be operated upon the insertion of a cent, due to the fact that metal disks which approximate quite closely to the cent in weight and dimensions may be formed without serious.

diiiiculty.

It is impractical to'form the coin entrance to the machine sotliat it conforms so closely in diameter and width as to prevent the insertion of anything but a standard coin,

but, by employing the construction substantially like that disclosed in the prior patent to myself and J. H. McPherson, No. 1,231,243, June 26, 1917, disks which are perforated, or which are magnetic, or wh1ch are of less weight than the cent will usually be excluded, but this apparatus fails to exclude non-magnetic disks which are of almost exactly the same weight as the cent, butwhich are of-slightly less or greater diameter, or of slightly less or greater thickness than the cent.

The objects of my invention are to provide a form of coin-controlled apparatus which will accurately test the metal disks which may be inserted thereinas to' weight,

diameter, and thickness, so that, unless the inserted disk conforms practically exactly to the standard weight, diameter, and thickness of the coin which the apparatus is designed to receive, the goods to be vended will not be delivered.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character dicated, but with whichthe danger of clogging by disks having diameters or thickness, or both, other than that of the standard coin, will beavoided, so that a disk of a size to permit of its insertion in the entrance to the coin passage, willeither be returned to the person inserting it, or discharged into the money receiving rece tacle.

accomplished these objects by the means hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings 'in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a common form of vending machine provided with an embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the inner side of the coln-controlled-mechanism-carrying. plate, with the mechanism thereon shown in its initial position. v

Fig. 3 is a similar view, partly broken away, showing some of the same parts in an intermediate position.

Fig. 4 is a detail-view of the locking pawl for preventing repeating.

Figs. 5, 7, and 8, are sectional views, at the line H of Fig. 2, showing the parts in different positions, and Fig. 6 is a side view ofthe same parts.

Figs. 9, 10, 11-, and 12, are detail-views type.

The base portion 1 of the machine has an opening in its front side, which is adapted to be closed by a plate 2, and, as a matter of convenience, all of the coin-controlled mechanism, except the operating handle, is mounted on the inner side of said plate, so that when the plate is removed, all of said mechanism will be removed with it. Said secured in position by screws.

plate 2 has an inwardly projecting flange 3, on the inner end of which an inner plate or partition 4 is seated, said partition being The portion of the apparatus which first engages the coin when it is inserted and an ects the same to preliminary tests, is similar in construction and arrangement to that disclosed in said prior Patent, 1,231,-

width and length than the standard thickness and diameter of the particular coin which the machine is designed to receive,

so that the coin may be inserted easily, but

so that a disk of such dimensions as to be liable to clog the apparatus will be exeluded. The main operating plate of the machine, or actuator 12, is mounted on a shaft 13, journaled in .themiddle of theplate 2, and said shaft has a handle 14 for rotating it on its outer end in front of plate 2. The actuator 12 'is provided with an edge portion 15 which, in the initial position of the actuator, shown in Fig. 2 is directly beneath the coin entrance and forms the bottom of a coin passage, the sides of which are formed by the plate 2 and the partition 4,

so that the edge of the inserted coin will engage said edge portion 15 and roll downward thereon past the magnet 8 and onto the coin weigher 9. If the disk which is inserted is magnetic, it will-ordinarily be interce ted by the magnet, or, if it is underweig t, it will be retained on the coin weigher 9, so that when the handle is turned to operate the machine the actuator will immediately engage the finger 50 on the holder 5 and cause the latter to be swung inward, as shown in Fig. 8, thereby causing the disk which was retained to be discharged into a receptacle from which it may be retrieved. The .mechansm thus far described constitutes no part of my present invention.

I have ascertained, however, that, in practice, disks are likely to be inserted which are non-magnetic and are so close to standard weight that they will'cause the coin weigher to tilt and discharge the coin, so that, unless other testing means are ,provided, operation of the machine and delivery of the goods will be permited. The present invention relates to mechanism which will enable the machine to be operated only when the disk which is discharged.

from the coin weigher 9 is of standard diameter and thickness, even to within less than one thousandth of an inch, if desired.

According to my present invention, I provide a dog 160 which is mounted to swing ona pivot 17, between the plate 2 and the partitlon 4, in the lane of movement of the carrier 12, said dgg comprising a curved arm 16 and a tapering arm 19, said arms extendin oppositely with relation to the pivot. spring 18 is coiled about said pivot and has one portion engaged with the under side of the arm 19 and the opposite portion enga ed with the plate 2, so that the up er si e of saidarm 19 will be normally old in engagement with a shoulder 200 on the plate 2, as shown in Fig. 2. In this position the arm 16 extends obliquely upward and is so arranged that when the weigher .9 tilts so as to discharge a coin therefrom, the coin will fall onto the upper edge of the arm 16 and roll down the same, the upper edge of the dog forming the bottom of the coin passage from the weigher to the point where the coin is discharged a chamber 22, formed on the inner side of the partition 4, a spring 23 being interposed between the bottom of the chamber and the head 20, so as to press the head towards the plate 2. The shank 21 extends through the partition 4 and stop nuts 24 are provided thereon, and act to limit the extent to which the head 20 may be moved towards the artition 2 by the spring 23, said nuts 24 eing so adjusted that the distance from the end of the head 20 to the inner surface of the plate 2 is normally slightly less than the standard thickness of the coin to be received. Said intercepter is located in the coin passage almost directly above thepivot 17 at a distance above the dog 160 greater than half the diameter of the coin, so that when a disk of standard thickness is discharged from the weigher 9 onto the upper side of the arm 16, it will be intercepted by the head 20 and lodge thereagainst, in the dotted line position of Fig. 2.

The arm 16 in its normal position of Fig. 2 extends nearly horizontally from its pivot and then obliquely upward in a gradual curve, the upper edge thereof being formed to provide a concave portion 25, and the arm 19 is convexly curved on its upper edge forming a rounded projection 26, the highest point of which is at a relatively short distance from the pivot 17, as compared with the distance from the pivot to the end of the arm 16. The surfaces of the concave portion 25 and the projection. 26 are continuous and reversely curved. The actuator 12 has a rounded edge portion 27, which, in

of the coin, which is of sufiicientl the initial position of the actuator, is directly above the projection 26 at distance therefrom, when the latter is in normal position, which is slightly greater than the standard diameter of the coin, so that a disk of slightly eater diameter than that small diameter to permit insertion at t e coin entrance, will be free to pass-between the projection 26 and the edge portion 27, when these parts are in the position of Fig. 2.

The actuator 12 is further provided with a coin-actuating finger 28, having a coinengaging edge 280, which is concaved on an arc having a radius approximately equal to the radius of the coin, the concave edge portion 280 extending through an are somewhat less than a semi-circumference in length, and being connected to the rounded edge portion27 by a reversely curved surface so that the surfaces are continuous.

A curved stop finger 29 is also formed on the actuator, the upper edge of which pro- ,vides the coin-supporting edge 15, and a shoulder 30 and face 31 are provided at its end, the arrangement being such that, when the dog 160 is in its normal position, a face 32 on the extreme end of arm 16 will be in the path of movement of the shoulder 30, so that, if the actuator should be rotated by its handle 14, and the dog is not moved out of its normal position to a sufficient extent to' carry its face 32 out of the path of the shoulder 30 during an initial portion of the operative movement of the actuator, said movement will be arrested when the carrier is in the position of Fig. 3, at which latter point its shoulder 30 will encounter the face 32, further operative movement, so as to deliver the articles to be vended, being prevented.

While various means for operating the goods delivery means upon rotation of the shaft 13 to a suitable extent, may be employed, the means shown consist of a transversely extending arm 13" on said shaft which is adapted to actuate certain delivery mechanism, not shown, when the shaft has been advanced to a point beyond the position of Fig. 3, or tothe extreme position of Fig. 12.

As already described, when a standard coin is inserted, it will be intercepted and come to rest against the head 20 while supported on the upper side of the arm 16, in the position shown in Fig. 2. If the shaft is then rotated, the coin will be engaged by the concave edge portion 280 of the finger 28, and forced against the rounded or oblique side of the head 20, causing the latter to be forced back into its chamber 23 sothat its end will bear against the side of the coin, and press it against the plate 2. As the coin will thus be'frictionally engaged by the head and the plate 2, it must be positively 'moved until is dise a said head, and will be carried in z curved path by the finger 28, said path havi its center at the axis of the shaft 13, an its outer periphery approximately coincident with the upper sur ace of the arm 16 to its pivotal point, so that the movement of the coin is not obstructed by the dog until this point is reached. At or adjacent this point, however, the upper edge of the projection 26 begins to extend into the path of movement of the coin, as it iscarried by finger 28. so that, by continued movement, the coin will be forced againstthe inclined side of the projection 26, causing it and the arm 19 to be presseddown and the arm 16 to be swung up, and, assuming the coin or disk is of standard diameter, when it reaches the highest point on said projection 26, the arm I 16 will be swung up tosuch an extent that its end face 32 will be carried out of the path of the shoulder 30, as indicated in the full line position of Fig. 3. When this occurs the actuator will then be free to be moved to its extreme position,'a recess 290 being formed in the actuator which receives the arm 16, as indicated in the extreme position of Fig. 12, and the finger 29 engaging Lthe under side of the dog to form a stop.

During the latter portion of the movement, the finger 28 will be swung past the head 20,

freeing the coin therefrom and forcing it against the inclined face 33 of a lug on the plate 2. so that it will be deflected thereby to an oblique position directly over the en- 3 trance to the coin passage 100, at which point the coin will be free to fall into said passage and pass into the money receptacle.

When the projection 26 has been depressed sufficiently to move the end face 32 out of the path of the shoulder 30, the coin will then be simultaneously engaged by the highest point.on the projection 26 on the dog and the concave face 280, so that the distan'e from this point through the center of the coin to the face 280 will be exactly equal to the standard diameter of the coin Whichthe machine is designed to receive.

As a slight depression of the high point of the projection 26, which is close to the pivot, will cause a relatively much greater movement of the face 32, which is remote therefrom, it follows that if the-disk which is inserted is of a diameter somewhat less than the standard diameter, but is of standard weight and thickness, the arm 16 will either izs coin is inserted, it will pass down on the arm 16 until". it encounters the inserted disk, whereit will be eld until the actuater is moved, and when this occurs, the disk last inserted will be engaged by the finger 28 and caused to force along the one previously inserted, forcing it past the intercepting head 20, and along the passage until it falls into the money rece tacle, and if the disk or coin last inserted is of standard diameter, so that arm 16 will be swung out of the path of the shoulder 30, the operation will be completed, and it will be discharged into the money receptacle also, otherwise it will be retained by the head20.

In case a disk of the same, or slightly greater diameter than the standard coin. but of less than standard thickness, should be placed in the machine, and should be delivered by the coin weigher to the arm 16,

if the thickness of the disk is slightly less than the distance from the end of the head 20 to the adjacent surface of the plate 2, then said head will not intercept the disk, which will roll along on the upper edge of the dog 160 and over the projection 26 thereon until it encounters the oblique face 33 which will be interposed in its path, this being permitted, as the distance from the top of projection 26 to the actuator portion 27 is'as great as the width of the coin entrance 11. In most instances the face 33 will begin to deflect the disk before it has entirely passed the head 20, so that frictional engagement with said head will be caused which will be suflicient to prevent further movement of the disk, which will come to rest against the face 33 and on the arm 19 of the dog at a short distance, however, beyond the high point of the projection 26, as indicated in the full line position of Fig. 10. Under these conditions, even though the disk is of such diameter that it would if properly positioned'on. the projection 26 with relation to the finger 28, cause the arm 16 to be swung out of obstructing position, as the disk Will have passed this point, when the actuator is moved, the dog will not be moved sufficiently to permit operation of the machine, as indicated in Fig. 10, as the disk will not be simultaneously engaged by the high point of projection 26 and the concave face 280 at diametrically opposite points. When the next disk or a coin is inserted, the thin disk previously inserted will be dislodged and fall into the passage 100, as in the case of the disk of less than standard diameter.

For the purpose of preventing a second operation of the machine, without inserting a second coin, and by turning the actuator back partway after the goods have been delivered, and then advancing it again, a pawl 35 is provided on the partition 4 which prevents the actuator from being advanced reviously again until it has been moved to its initial of the disk which will be received may be made as fine as desired, and, on account of the relative shortness of the arm to the high point of the projection 26, as compared with the length of the arm-t0 the face 32, if the disk inserted is of very slightly less diameter than standard, the arm 16 will not be moved out of arresting position, so that the machine can only be operated when a disk of full standard thickness and diameter is inserted.

I claim:

1. In a coin-controlled mechanism having a coin passage therethrough, an actuator operatively movable from an initial to an extreme position, a locking device arranged to be engaged by said actuator during an initial portion of the operative movement, an interceptor normally arranged to extend into said passage, to intercept a disk of a predetermined dimension and to permit the passage of a disk of a less corresponding di mension, means to permit said interceptor to yield and permit the passage of an intercepted disk when positively forced thereagainst, a finger on said actuator arranged to engage a disk held in intercepted position, to force it past said interceptor in a predetermined path, and means normally disposed in said path and movable therefrom by the disk, as it is moved by said finger,to move said locking device out of locking position and permit the operative movement of the actuator to be'completed.

2. In a coin-controlled mechanism having a coin passage therethrough, an actuator operatively movable from an initial and to an extreme position, and having a finger adapted to engage a disk and move it in a predetermined path, a dog normally held in position to arrest the operative movement of said actuator at a predetermined point during the initial portion of said movement, an interceptor normally projected into said passage to an extent to permit the passage of disks of a certain thickness and to intercept disks of a greater thickness and hold them in position to be engaged by said finger and moved in said path during the initial portion of said movement, means permitting said interceptor to yield to permit the passage of the disk when moved by said fin er, and means normally disposed in said pat and arranged to be moved laterally therefrom by the disk as it is moved therein by said finger, said means being arranged to move said dog out of arresting position, when moved by a disk of predetermined diameter, during said initial portion of the movement of the carrier.

3. In a coin-controlled mechanism having a coin assage therethrough, an actuator operative y movable from an initial and to an extreme position, and having a finger adapted to engage a disk and move it in a predetermined path, a dog normally held in position to arrest the operative movement of said actuator at a predetermined point during the initial portion of said movement, an interceptor normally projected a into said passage. to an extent to permit the passage of disks of a certain thickness and to intercept disks of a greater thickness and hold' disk engaging face obliquely isposed in said path to permit the disk to move said projection laterally as it is moved past the same, thereby to move the dog out of arresting position before the actuator is moved to said point, the distance from the highest point on said projection, when engaged by the disk, to the diametrically opposite point engaged thereby on the finger being equal to the standard diameter of'the coin which the mechanism is designed to receive, when the dog has been moved from its arresting position.

4.. In a coin-controlled mechanism having a coin passage therethrough, an actuator operatively movable from an initial to an extreme position, a dog having a locking arm and an operating arm, means for normally holding said dog in position to permit said locking arm to arrest the operative movement of the actuator at a predetermined point during the initial ortion of said movement, an interceptor yieldably projecting into said passage to an extent to permit passage of disks of a certain thickness and to intercept disks of a greater thickness and hold them in a predetermined position, a finger on said actuator arranged to engage a disk held in said position and move it in a predetermined path past said interceptor, and a projection on said operating arm arranged to be engaged by a disk asit is moved/ in said path and to be swung aside thereby to swing said locking arm' into an inoperative position, when the diameter of the disk is equal to a predetermined standard, and permit the operative movement of the .actuator to be completed.-

5. In a coin-controlled mechanism adjacently' disposed partitions having a coin passage therebetween, an actuator operatively movable between said partitions from an initial to an extreme position, a locking device normally held in position to lock said actuator during an initial portion of its operative movement against further operative movement, and obliquely faced intercepting head mounted in one of said partitions and spring actuated towards the other partition, means to limit the extent of said movement, to permit the passage of a disk of a predetermined thickness and to intercept a d sk of greater thickness, a finger on said actuator movable thereby to engage a disk intercepted by said head and move it in a predetermined path, to press the head aside and force the disk past the same so that the head will frictionally engage one side of the disk, and'means arranged to be actuated by the disk as it is moved in said path to move said locking-device out of locking position when the disk is of standard diameter, to permit the operative movement of the actuator to be completed.

6. In a coin-controlled mechanism adjacently disposed partitions having a coin passage therebetween, an actuator operatively movable between said partitions from an initial to an extreme position; a locking device arranged to be engaged by said actuator during an initial portion of the operative movement thereof to lock the same against further operative movement, an interceptor mounted in one 7 of said partitions and spring actuated to move towards the other partitlon across said passage, an adjustable stop for limiting the extent of said movement to permit disks of a certain thickness to pass said interceptor and to intercept disks of greater thickness, a finger on said actuator arranged to force an interce ted disk past said interceptor in a predetermined path during said initial portion of said movement, and means operatively associated with said locking device and arranged to be actuated by the disk as it is moved in said path to move said locking device out of locking position and permit the operative movementiof the actuator to be completed.

7. In a coin-controlled mechanism having a coin passage therethrough, an actuator rotatably movable from an lnitial to a final position, a locking device normally disposed in position to prevent o erative movement of said actuator beyon a predetermined point, a finger on said actuator having a disk receiving recess arranged to holda disk in predetermined relation relative-thereto, and permit the finger to move the same in a predetermined path, an interceptor normaly disposed in said passage to intercept a disk of predetermined dimension passing therethrough, and arranged to hold the intercepted disk in position to be received in said recess when the finger is actuated, means whereb said interceptor will be moved out of e path of the disk and will frictionally engage the side of the disk when the disk is pressed thereagainst and moved in said ath by said finger, and means normally. dispose in said path and laterally yieldable, when engaged by the disk, to move a of a standard coin, an interceptor yieldably projecting into said passage and normally arranged to permit the passage of disks of a certain thickness and to intercept disks of a greater thickness, to hold them in position to be received in said recess when the actuator is moved operatively, means to permit said interceptor to yield by the pressure of the disk thereagainst, when actuated by said finger and held in said recess, a locking device normally arranged to prevent operative movement of said actuator at a predetermined point in the initial portion of its movement, and means associated with said locking device and arranged to be actuated by the disk as it is moved by said finger past said interceptor to move said locking device to an inoperative position, as the actuator is advanced to the point at which it would be locked.

9. In a coin-controlled mechanism having a coin passage therethrough, an oscillatory actuator operatively movable from an initial to an extreme position, and having a finger for moving a coin in a predetermined path, in said passage, a pivotally mounted dog having a locking arm and an operating arm arranged to extend oppositely in such position that their upper sides form the bottom of a portion of said passage, and will support the coin in edgewise position thereon, yieldable means for normally holding said dog in a position in which its locking arm will arrest the movement of the actuator at a predetermined point, in the initial portion of the operative movement thereof, and its operating arm-will project into the path of a disk when actuated by said finger, means for delivering disks to the upper side of said locking arm and for permitting disks of a predetermined or less thickness to roll along on said arms past the projecting portion of said. operating arm, and means for intercepting disks of greater thickness before they pass said projecting portion and for ieldably holding such disks in position to be engaged by said finger and moved thereby into engagement with said projecting portion thereby to depress said operating arm and move said locking arm to an inoperative position when the diameter of the disk is equal to a predeter mined standard and before the actuator reaches the point at which its movement would be arrested.

10. In a coin-controlled mechanism having a coin passage therethrough, an oscillatory actuator operatively movable from an initial to an extreme position, and having a finger for moving a coinin a predetermined path, in said passage, a pivotally mounted dog having a locking arm and an operating arm arranged to extend oppositely in such position that their upper sides form the bottom of a portion of said passage, and will support the coin in edgewise position thereon, yieldable means for normally holding said dog in a position, in which its locking arm will arrest the movement of the actuator at a predetermined point, in the initial portion of the operative movement thereof, and its operating arm will project into the path of a disk when actuated by said finger, means for delivering disks to the upper side of said locking arm and for permitting disks of a predetermined or less thickness to roll along on said arms past the projecting portion of said operating arm, and an interceptor arranged to arrest the movement of disks of greater thickness before they pass said projecting portion and to hold such disks in position to be engaged by said finger andmoved thereby into engagement with the projecting portion of said operating arm, said interceptor being arranged to yield and frictionally engage the disk as it is moved by said finger, and hold itin predetermined relation to the finger and operating arm'as it is moved past the projecting portion of the latter, thereby to depress said operating arm and move said locking arm to an inoperative position in time to permit the actuator to be moved to its extreme position.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR H. DU GRENIER: 

